Eating vegan, running long distances and being 20-something.

Juicero: useful or excessive?

This week I’m sharing my thoughts on the $120 million invention called Juicero. Known as the Keurig of juicers, it was invented by juice extraordinaire Doug Evans. It is sleek, smart, and will cost you an arm and a leg.

How it works: Insert the package of organic fruit/veggies (shipped to you by the company) in the machine, press a button, and let it do it’s magic. The juicer comes with a QR code reader that gives info on what farm the produce came from, when it was picked, and whether it’s expired.

It’s an impressive contraption– the $700 juicer you never knew you needed. Price of produce packages required in order to make the juice not included.

My immediate thoughts on this product include:1. How is this machine going to make fruits/vegetables more accessible beyond the 1%, as inventor Evans claims it will? I’m pretty sure the average family can’t afford the juicer, let alone the $4-$7 needed for each pouch of produce. Evans justifies the machine’s accessibility by claiming you can share it with your family. However, I’m not entirely convinced of that argument. I don’t think even middle class families will blow $700 on a juicer when that money could be going to groceries, bills, or their children’s books.
Also, it only spits out enough juice to fill an 8 oz. glass– the size of a short Starbucks cup. As in, the size no one ever orders/even knows about because it’s so small.
If you’re going to drink juice, it’s much cheaper to buy one from a store. The Evolution brand sells a variety of juice blends for $2.99 at Starbucks. No, it’s not going to be as ‘fresh’ as Juicero’s, but it’ll still be plenty nutritious. And larger. Or, even better, you could make your own juice at home using your own fruits/veggies.

2. For a health/wellness company, it’s not very environmentally friendly. The packaging is neither recyclable nor compostable. It’s essentially contributing the same amount of damage to the environment as Keurig cups. (Keurig has taken a lot of heat in the past couple years for its non recyclable cups; see an example here.)

3. I feel like there are more worthwhile projects to invest in than a juicing machine. It took $120 million from investors to turn this appliance from an idea to a sellable product. While that’s certainly an impressive fundraising effort by Evans, why not put that money toward something a little more pervasive, like better education, more farmer’s markets, or universal health care?

3. What about the fiber? The juicer removes all of the fruit’s fiber. Fiber comes with a myriad of health benefits: it helps keep you full longer, controls blood sugar levels, and normalizes bowel movements. Rather than drink a juice totally devoid of vital nutrients like fiber, I think you’d be much better off eating whole fruits/vegetables.

What do you think? Would you buy a Juicero? Do you think it’s a useful piece of technology? Sound off in the comments!